Snake Eyes
by yogavee
Summary: Set after the finale of S1. Alex and Nicky interrupt Piper's attack on Pennsatucky. Now Piper has finished serving her time in the SHU and has been returned to the main block. What will happen now? Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The only reason why Piper couldn't hear the sound of bone against bone, the sound of her fists colliding with the side of Pennsatucky's head, the sound of blood splattering across the surrounding snow, was because her heart was pounding so loud inside her skull that she thought that at any minute now, it would just explode. Blood coursed through her veins, thick and heavy, as anger boiled inside her stomach, refusing to ease off even after the twentieth punch to Pennsatucky's nose.

She drew her hand back for the umpteenth time and curled her fingers into her palm, so tight that her nails broke through the skin. But just as she was about to bring it down again for yet another bone-crunching attack, something caused her to fly backwards and land on her side with a heavy thud. The sudden impact caused the air to be ripped from her lungs and she gasped loudly, her chest rattling in pain as she struggled to breath.

Before she had the chance to recover, a heavy weight suddenly pressed down against her torso and two hands landed on her chest. Piper tried to swing her arms upwards in order to push Pennsatucky away from her but she was horrified to find that she was pinned to the ground, and then out of nowhere, somebody was in her face, and that's when she realised that it wasn't Pennsatucky. It was Alex.

 _Alex... Alex shouting... Alex in her face... Alex_.

"Can you hear me? Piper, _stop!_ "

Piper thrashed from side to side in an attempt to escape but Alex's grip merely tightened in response and then suddenly, a hand collided with the side of her face. Her head jarred to the right until her cheek came in contact with the cold, wet snow. And then, as if a switch had gone off inside her head, Piper closed her eyes and ceased all movement.

The only sound that broke the silence was the soft crunching of snow around her body. Somebody else was there but Piper couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.

" _Shit_ Vause, I think she's dead, Chapman's fucked!"

 _Dead...? No, it couldn't be possible._ "I barely touched her..." Piper murmured groggily.

The weight above her shifted as Alex repositioned her body, although Piper could still feel the tension inside her former girlfriend's muscles.

"Nicky, calm down, _please_ , we need to do something."

 _Crunch crunch crunch..._

"Punch her."

" _What_? Nicky-"

"I'm being serious. Punch her. _Now!_ "

"What the fuck would that achieve?"

Piper murmured something under her breath as she tried to roll away from the situation, away from Alex and Pennsatucky, _away from her life_. All the energy and adrenaline that was previously coursing through her body had suddenly been zapped away and... _what the hell were they talking about? Punching her?_

"Vause, just fucking-" Nicky's demand died on her lips as a loud chorus of screams erupted from inside the building, followed by clapping and cheering. "Now or never!"

Piper opened her mouth to say something, _anything_ , even if it didn't make any sense... but something hard suddenly collided with her nose and her mouth immediately started to fill up with blood. Her head lolled backwards as it trickled from her nose.

"Get the fuck away from her, Nicky. I mean it."

"Vause, if they come out of there and see Pennsatucky dead and Piper... Piper without so much as a _scratch_ on her, she might as well be dead. So fucking hit her or your girlfriend is as good as gone, and you'll never see her-!" She didn't need to continue. Alex got the message.

 _Whack_.

Piper's head spun. The pain was unbearable. She tilted her head to the side and spluttered noisily, blood spraying from her nose and mouth, further tainting the already tainted snow.

"I'm so sorry, Pipes," Alex whispered desperately, her voice cracking mid-sentence.

But Piper wasn't listening.

Not when another fist collided with her cheekbone.

She was finally put out of her misery when everything turned black.

* * *

The harsh sound of metal scraping against metal echoed around the hollow room as the door to Piper's prison cell opened. She turned her head, _just slightly_ , in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the intruder, however; her interest peaked quickly and she immediately turned her attention back to the patch of discoloured wall in front of her.

" _Chapman!_ " the intruder shouted. The loud, unexpected bellow made her flinch. She recognised whom it belonged to though: Mendez. Piper suddenly found herself wondering whether or not he still had his moustache and for a split second, she was half tempted to look and find out. She didn't though, in fact, she didn't even acknowledge him. "Get up. You're done in here."

Piper didn't move. She was tired and all she wanted to do was sleep, and even though she hated the SHU, she couldn't think of anything worse than returning to the main block and joining everybody else. So instead, Piper scrunched up her face and pushed it further into the bend of her elbow in an attempt to block out the fluorescent light that engulfed her.

However, when a rough hand suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and jostled her upwards, Piper realised that her lack of cooperation was not going to work in her favour today. She desperately tried to jerk her hand away from him but he responded by tightening his grip and quickly dragging her away from the bed. She tried to brace herself for the impact that she knew was about to come but it was a futile attempt, and as a result, her body landed on the cold, hard floor with a loud thump. A pained grunt vibrated at the back of her throat, which prompted a small, satisfied smirk on Mendez' face as he yanked her to her feet.

"What's the matter, Chapman?" Mendez spat, "Not excited to see your dirty cunt fucking friends?"

Piper swallowed thickly and shook her head. She didn't want to see anybody. She wanted to stay here, in SHU, forever and ever. Or at least until everybody she knew was already out. She squirmed and jerked, and screamed for him to let her go but he held on and with the aid of another officer, he pulled her out of the cell and eventually, outside of the building.

The great outdoors hit Piper like a tonne of bricks. She spun her head from left to right as she tried to take as much of it in as possible but it was an overload to her senses and very quickly it became too much. She clamped her eyes shut as her knees buckled underneath her tired frame; however, Mendez refused to stop and continued to drag her along instead, ignoring her whimpers and cries of protest.

"I can't go back, _please_ , don't make me go back!" Piper kicked towards the ground in an attempt to bury her heels in the gravel but there was no way she could put up a fight against Mendez' huge frame, "I can't see them, I can't see _her_!"

 _Not Alex, not Pennsatucky, not her Jesus loving friends..._ Beads of sweat formed along her brow as tears crept into the corners of her eyes but no matter how loud she begged, she was still thrown onto the van to be transported back.

* * *

The first person that she saw was Morello. _Lovely, sweet, Morello_. She didn't say much but she did offer a loving, kind-hearted smile. Typical Morello, full of sympathy and worry. Unfortunately, it did nothing to ease Piper's nerves.

She shuffled into the building, one hand wrapped protectively around her midriff whilst the other rubbed and pinched at the bridge of her nose. There was a loud and unrelenting banging inside her head, which she could only assume was due to the copious amount of stimuli that was currently attacking her senses.

Piper was ushered into a room, where she was to stay until she was assigned a bunk. Yeah, she knew the drill but it didn't make it any easier. She would have preferred to crawl back under the covers of the bed that she'd spent the last two months sleeping on, back in SHU. At least she was alone there, alone with her unforgiving thoughts.

"It's lunch time, Chapman," Morello said softly, "You must be hungry."

"Starving," Piper answered bluntly, "But I'm going to give it a miss."

It hurt to talk. Her throat felt barren and unused. She coughed in a futile attempt to clear her throat before turning her back on Morello. It took a few moments for the other woman to get the hint and leave but when she did, Piper's shoulders sunk forehead and she dropped her head against the cool metal frame of her bed. She just needed to sleep.

So she did, until she jolted herself awake at a time she couldn't determine. She wasn't used to sleeping in the dark and for a moment, she found herself beginning to panic until she remembered where she was and what was happening. But as the panic started to subside, the throbbing sensation in her bladder took over.

"Shit!"

Piper swung her legs over the side of the bed and jumped down from the top bunk. The other occupants of the room were in bed but beginning to stir so she could only assume that she'd slept through the entire previous day and that it was now approaching breakfast time. She didn't wait to find out though and made a mad dash for the nearest bathroom.

She paid no heed to the other inmates that were hovering by the sinks and instead, rushed into the first unoccupied cubicle that she came across, and landed heavily on the toilet. Only then did she realise that she'd forgotten to grab her own personal roll of toilet paper.

"Shit," She cursed for the second time that morning. It was clearly not going to be a good day.

It wasn't the end of the world though. She hovered for a few seconds longer than necessary before pulling up her underwear and exiting the stall. Once she'd adjusted her nightgown, Piper lifted her head and stopped dead in her tracks as she locked eyes with Nicky's via the bathroom mirror.

She opened and closed her mouth in a desperate bid to say something to end the uncomfortable silence that had suddenly swamped them but her throat was tight and, out of nowhere, breathing became the hardest task in the world.

"Piper..." Nicky said softly, yet with an underlining sense of authority behind her words, "You okay?"

 _No... no, I'm not okay. I feel sick. I can't breath. I think I'm going to_ – Piper charged forward and grabbed the edge of the sink as her stomach leapt towards her throat. She retched loudly and although nothing appeared, she continued to do so. A gentle hand against the small of her back caused her body to stiffen but in the same turn, her throat loosened and she released a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry," Piper mumbled under her breath, "I taste bile."

"That's what you get when you don't eat anything and then dry heave into a bathroom sink."

Piper knocked the faucet on and immediately dunked her mouth underneath the cold stream of water. She gargled it noisily and then spat it back out again before straightening up to face the mirror... _and Nicky_.

"Feel better?" Nicky asked as she lowered her hand.

"No."

It was the truth. In fact, if Piper was being honest, she felt ten times worse. But Nicky didn't need to know that.

She pushed her fingers through her messy, unkempt hair and then turned towards the exit but of the corner of her eye, she saw her old friend ( _was she a friend?_ ) reach towards her and then falter at the last minute. When she dropped it back to her side, Piper released a soft sigh in relief.

"I'm going back to bed. Catch you later, maybe?"

She didn't wait around to hear Nicky's response.

* * *

Lunchtime rolled around and Piper finally decided that she needed to make an effort to eat something. She hoped she could sneak in and out again, undetected, but after one quick peek at the entrance and realising that Mendez was on duty, she knew that wouldn't be possible. She shot him an irritated glance as she walked by but then promptly lowered her head to allow her hair to fall down and around her face.

Piper watched her feet as she walked. _One step after the other... don't look, keep walking... almost there_. She could sense that her reappearance had garnered her a lot of attention. But she refused to look and refused to acknowledge, as she shuffled awkwardly across the room with her hands stuffed uncomfortably inside her pockets.

She knew that Alex would be in there and she also knew that she would be one of the many people that was watching her, probably with Nicky, and Morello, and heck, even Big Boo. And as much as she wanted to look at Alex and silently plead for a cuddle, and words of affection, Piper knew that it would only steam-roll her into a blubbering mess.

They'd ended on a bad note. Alex didn't want her around anymore and Piper could hardly blame her. But although Alex had warned her away and told her on numerous occasions that she wasn't allowed to approach her for help, Alex had been there during the aftermath of her fight with Pennsatucky. _She'd been helping, maybe..._ Piper couldn't really remember. The memories from that night were fuzzy at best, and complicated, especially anything that happened between the time that she blacked out and the time that she woke up in the SHU, wrapped up in bandages.

Piper was yanked from her thoughts when her tray of food was placed on the surface in front of her. She grabbed it carefully and then weaved her way through the crowds of people until she found an unoccupied seat, as far away from as many people as possible. She ended up sitting across from Yoga Jones, who offered quiet words of support and encouragement but Piper merely responded with a polite, tight smile. Eventually Yoga Jones got the hint.

After she'd forced herself to silence her grumbling stomach with a slice of stale bread, Piper went to stand; however, when a head of dark hair and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses stepped into view, Piper froze in place like a deer caught in headlights. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably and her tray of half-eaten food clattered noisily onto the table, spilling its contents all over the floor. The commotion caused too many heads to turn in their direction.

"Pipes, can we talk?"

 _No... I mean, yes, wait – not now, maybe later...? No. Talking to you is not a good idea._ Her mind was a flurry with thought. So much so that she forgot to verbalise any of it, and instead just stared at Alex with her mouth agape. The taller woman took a step closer and Piper responded by nervously taking a few shaky steps backwards.A frown flitted across Alex's face as she held up her hands in an attempt to convince Piper to calm down but Piper could tell and feel that her own face was alight with a bundle of emotion.

"It's okay, kid. I just want to talk."

 _Kid._ It was so easy to slip into old habits.

 _Too easy_.

"I've got to go, I'm sorry."

Piper spun on her heel and hurriedly ran out of the canteen area, as fast as she could go without earning a shot from her favourite CO.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

After the small exchange that she'd had with Alex in the canteen, Piper didn't see her for another two whole days. Every single move from that incident on was suddenly very calculated and planned, for example: she didn't use the bathroom in the early hours of the morning as she knew that that was the time that Alex preferred to shower ( _or used to, anyway_ ) and she tried to skip as many meals as her grumbling stomach would allow ( _which was beginning to add up at commissary!_ ), plus she hadn't been signed on to work duty yet, which is how Piper came about her first flaw in her otherwise successful plan... _laundry day_.

Piper hovered awkwardly outside of the laundry room, clutching her bag desperately against her chest. She knew that just through those doors, Alex would be there. Alex Vause. _The_ Alex Vause. Alex Vause, the ex-girlfriend, the reason she was behind bars, the one she dumped in favour of her fiancé, wait, _ex_ fiancé, the woman that knocked her unconscious to save her from maximum security. Piper still didn't know how she felt about that. But it wasn't just Alex that she was apprehensive about seeing but also Pennsatucky's followers, her clan, her evil Jesus-loving – Piper rolled her head on her shoulders and sucked in a deep breath. _No, she would not get stressed out_.

She'd come far in the last two days. Although she was worried about the repercussions from a variety of incidents, Piper was beginning to become less paranoid and obsessive. Morello had helped. She was always around to offer a helping ear, which often prompted a few jibes and inappropriate comments from Nicky, whom Piper had delicately resumed speaking to. Sure, their conversations were nothing like what they once were and, _honestly_ , Piper knew it was because, _deep-down_ , she was still pissed off about the fact that Nicky had had sex with her ex-girlfriend. Not that she'd been told but the SHU gives a person a lot of opportunity to stew over things.

Piper stumbled forward as an inmate shoved their way through to the laundry room, a movement that abruptly yanked her from her thoughts. She blinked a few times as she crashed back into the present world and when she did, she clawed tighter at her bag, as if it was somehow going to protect her from whatever was about to happen. On the other side of the door, she could hear the colourful conversation that was being bounced around between the inmates on duty. She listened carefully for any sign of Alex and when there was no recognisable, husky voice, Piper released a heavy breath as she reluctantly pushed open the door and slipped inside.

It took less than a second for somebody to notice her and when they did, they bellowed her name so loud that Piper almost dropped her makeshift protection device. She nervously peered around the side of the washer, careful not to make any direct eye-contact with the small group of people that were gathered around the table in the centre of the room. Leanne, one of Pennsatucky's _hill billy_ friends, was leant up against the table wringing a pair of trousers in her hand, which Piper could only assume was a representation of her desire to wrap her hands around her throat and strangle her to death. She gulped, audibly.

"So the rumours _are_ true then, huh? They've finally pulled you out of the SHU."

"Apparently. Or maybe... _maybe_ I'm just a mirage?" Piper replied dryly. Confidently. Even though, right that second, it actually felt like her stomach was slowly travelling up her digestive system. "I don't want any trouble. It's my laundry day."

Leanne quickly dropped the trousers that she was holding and pushed away from the table, a crease forming in her brow, "A mirage?" she repeated, ignoring Piper's last comment. The questioning repetition prompted a slow and heavy nod from Piper, "A hallucination?"

Again, Piper nodded, unsure of where this was going. She watched anxiously as Leanne stepped closer, followed closely by the others, each one wearing a matching scowl.

"There are worse things that a person could hallucinate," Piper answered carefully, her eyes flitting from left to right as Leanne took another step closer, now standing less than a metre away. Eventually Piper's gaze landed back on that of Leanne's. She quickly straightened up and pushed her shoulders back. "What do you want, Leanne?" She asked, her voice surprisingly steady considering how nervous she felt. When the other woman took yet another step forward, Piper tilted her chin upwards and pulled her bag closer to her chest.

Piper watched as Leanne opened her mouth to say something when all of a sudden another person rounded the corner, her voice loud and clear above the noisy machinery.

"Can you Jesus-loving freaks get a move on? I'm all for friendly chit chat but if you are – Oh, _Piper?_ "

Alex. The raven-haired woman stopped in her tracks as soon as she spotted Piper amongst the midst of Pennsatucky's followers. She cocked her head to one side and arched a perfectly manicured brow as her gaze bounced around and landed on each and every body that surrounded Piper. They all shifted nervously from one foot to the other, all well aware of the wrath that Alex Vause could cause. Meanwhile, Piper dipped her chin into her chest and buried her face behind her bag of washing.

"What's going on here?" Alex eventually asked after a long stretch of silence.

Leanne was the first to respond: "We are being nice!" She took a step closer to Piper, which immediately made Alex take a step of her own, her eyebrow arching even further towards her hairline. Sensing Alex's hostility, Leanne held up her hands in surrender. " _Relax_. We were just about to take Chapman's laundry. It _is_ her laundry day, after all."

"I'll do it," Alex said.

"No, it's-"

"I _said_ , I'll do it."

Leanne murmured something incoherent under her breath before motioning for the others to take her lead and leave the room. Alex watched them carefully, eyebrow in the same position as before, as they all scurried out of the room. Eventually she returned her attention to Piper.

"You okay, Pipes?"

Piper lowered the bag slightly and peeked over the top, her blue eyes glossy with tears. She turned towards the table and dropped the bag on the table, nodding slightly.

"I'm fine."

She was far from fine. An incident like that was why she'd put up such a huge fight with Mendez about leaving the SHU. If eating a dinner that consisted of three different mouldy meals mashed into the shape of a loaf meant that she didn't have to deal with any sort of drama for a very long time then so be it. She'd do it happily ( _well, happily is a slight overstatement_ )! But instead, she was in the laundry room with Alex, seconds away from bursting into what she could only assume would be, uncontrollable tears.

"You're not fine. I know you."

"So why ask me such a stupid question then?" Piper threw back quickly, earning a small eye-roll from the taller woman. Well, she _did_ have a point.

"I won't try and be friendly in future then."

Piper spun around and stared wide-eyed at Alex, who merely crossed her arms over her chest and arched another questioning brow. _Damn Alex and her fucking eyebrows._ She threw her hands to her head and grabbed, and pulled, at her roots. She was losing the plot.

"Don't try and be anything, Alex. I don't need your help," Piper snapped, "I don't want to be, wait, _no_ , I _can't_ be here. I _killed_ somebody, it's only a matter of time before they send me down the hill. Shit, what the hell am I going to do?"

" _Kill_?" Alex scoffed, "Oh please, is that what this is about? Killing Doggett?"

Piper dropped her hands, a look of disbelief flashing across her face. "Oh please?" She repeated, "How does that warrant an 'oh please'?"

Alex stepped closer, her eyes locking onto Piper's, "It warrants an 'oh please' because you're being fucking ridiculous. You didn't kill that meth head. She's locked up somewhere else getting her fucking fangs put back together. Don't ask me how they're going to salvage those things-"

"Wait... so she's _not_ dead?" Piper whispered, eyes frantic as they searched Alex's face for an answer, half expecting it to be a huge lie in an attempt to make her feel better. Alex shook her head and offered a small, hesitant smile, a look that immediately told Piper that she was telling the truth. "Oh thank God, oh God, oh God, thank you."

Tears sprung out of the corners of her eyes and she quickly pushed her hands against her face, unintentionally hiding the big smile of relief that stretched across her features.

"You're beginning to sound like her," Alex quipped dryly. She watched patiently as Piper rubbed the tears away from her face before eventually breaking the silence: "You're not a murderer, kid." Her voice was soft and soothing, far different from the husky tones that she usually possessed.

Piper lowered her hands and finally looked up at Alex, her eyes darting curiously over the older woman's face. She looked as if she wanted to say something so Alex waited quietly, a slight crease in her brow, which continued to deepen in concern as the silence extended into one that was no longer comfortable.

"Thank you," Piper whispered sweetly.

Alex cocked her head to the right slightly and arched a brow, signalling for Piper to elaborate but she didn't. Instead, Piper grabbed her bag of washing and pushed it towards Alex, who instinctively took a hold of it before it ended up on the floor.

"Can I have my ticket?"

"Uh, okay, sure," Alex mumbled. She balanced the bag under one arm as she rifled around in her pockets until she located the required item, which she then passed over to Piper. The younger woman pushed it inside her pocket before walking towards the door, stopping only at the sound of Alex clearing her throat. She didn't turn around but did turn her head slightly, revealing an ear to Alex as she glanced out of the corner of her eye. It took a few seconds but eventually Alex spoke again, her voice full of unspoken affection, "It's nice to see you, kid."

Piper turned her head forward and with the smallest of smiles on her face, she walked out of the door. Today was going to be a better day.

* * *

 **This chapter is not as long as I originally wanted it to be but I've been very busy working and watching season 3 (I won't tell you how I feel). Thank you for all of the favourites/follows/reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"-perfect tits and a nice pussy."

Piper _still_ wasn't entirely used to hearing such vulgar terminology in everyday chit-chat so when she stepped within earshot of her friends' conversation and heard what they were talking about, her eyebrows immediately jumped towards her hairline in surprise.

It was dinnertime and the canteen was already buzzing with lively conversation and the clatter of plastic cutlery against trays. Nicky, Boo and Morello were sat together on a table, apparently discussing Boo's sex life ( _or perhaps Nicky's?_ ). The smile on Piper's face dropped as soon as her brain conjured up an image of Nicky and Alex together, and forced it the forefront of her mind. As her thoughts continued to travel deeper into dangerous territory, her face twisted into a look of distaste; however, she was quickly saved from her own mind by her friends' voice.

"Hello? Earth to Chapman?"

 _Wait, what?_ She quickly looked down at Nicky, who tossed back a look of confusion.

"Excuse me?" Piper stammered.

"I _said_ , are you going to sit with us or are you planning on just standing there for the rest of the day?" Nicky asked, a throaty chuckle tumbling from her lips.

Piper shook her head and hurriedly sat down beside Boo. "I'm sorry, I honestly have no idea where my head is. It's like it's my first week here all over again and I'm feeling every single thing that I did back then," She looked down at her tray and grimaced, "God, I'm not even hungry."

Boo immediately leant over to one side until their shoulders touched and eyed up the contents of Piper's tray but Piper, still recovering from barely eating anything in SHU, grabbed her plastic fork and waved it in her direction, staring pointedly at her until she got the hint and retreated out of her personal space, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Nice, _deep_ , anyway, where we were?" Nicky glanced between Boo and Morello before her face erupted into a wide, cheeky grin as she remembered. "Ah, tits and pussy."

 _Yes, tits and pussy_. Piper looked down at her food and grimaced. She needed to eat something. She poked and prodded, and moved her food around until it resembled some sort of obscure art piece, and then, once she was finally satisfied with her work, she scooped some up and lifted it towards her mouth. Except when she looked up, she locked eyes with Alex and immediately dropped the forkful of food down the front of her clothes.

" _Damn it_!" She looked down at the mess on her chest and lap, and her cheeks flooded with shame. "So apparently I can't even feed myself anymore."

Alex took a seat beside her and chuckled deeply, and immediately the blush on Piper's face spread to the tips of her ears. Now she couldn't tell whether it was due to embarrassment or the desire to hear more of Alex's velvety laugh. _Probably a mixture of both._

"You eat like a pig," Boo grumbled, "What a waste."

Piper shot her a look before grabbing a napkin and dabbing at her clothes. She wasn't really paying any attention to the conversation around her until Nicky spoke again, this time directing her words to Alex. Immediately, her ears perked up.

"Vause, I was just telling Boo here that you've got a cracking pair of tits and one of the tastiest pussies that I've ever had the honour of tasting."

Piper didn't look up. _She couldn't_. Anger bubbled at the pit of her stomach and her heart twisted painfully inside her chest. It almost felt like she'd been stabbed, _you know,_ if she knew what that felt like. She felt Alex stiffen and out of the corner of her eye, she could see the taller woman pull a face at Nicky. _Was she telling her off_? Piper wasn't sure. She didn't move.

Nicky chuckled, "Alright, alright... Just saying."

She tried to force the comments to the back of her mind. She knew that Nicky was just trying to get a rise out of her but unfortunately it was working. Piper twirled the now empty fork between her thumb and forefinger as she concentrated hard on holding her anger at bay.

"Chapman doesn't care though, right?" Nicky continued, "She decided that cock was much more fun-"

" _Nicky,_ " Alex warned, shooting her a stare.

Piper curled her fingers around the fork and squeezed tightly. She didn't need to hear any of this and she certainly didn't need Alex to fight her battles for her anymore. She was about to look up, change the subject, force a laugh... _anything_ to ease the tension that was now surrounding them but suddenly a hand brushed along the length of her thigh and she shrieked.

Everyone nearby turned to look at her, including Alex, who subtly removed her hand as quickly as it had appeared in the first place.

"I feel sick," Piper mumbled quietly, rising to her feet, "I need to go lie down. Boo, do you want this?"

She didn't need to ask twice. Boo reached across, grabbed a hold of Piper's tray and pulled it on top of her own. Meanwhile, Piper forced a smile ( _albeit a pained one_ ) before rushing out of the canteen, unaware of the fact that Alex was hot on her heels.

* * *

Piper kept her head down as she weaved her way around the other inmates. Hot, wet tears collected in the corners of her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to will them away, they still spilled out and rolled down her cheeks. She rounded the corner at the end of the corridor and hurriedly entered the library. It was such an abrupt entrance that a number of heads swivelled in her direction; however, Piper ignored them and quickly made her way to the far corner where she noisily crashed against a bookcase.

Knowing that she was as alone as she could ever be in this place, Piper allowed her body to succumb to her emotions. The tears came first, fast and hard, until her whole body started to shake with each and every sob that was torn from her body. She felt hopeless and _weak_ , and absolutely furious at herself for allowing Nicky to get to her. And Alex. Alex... _fuck sake, Alex._

"Pipes?"

The sudden hesitant murmur of her nickname made Piper jump. _Speak of the Devil..._ Reluctantly, Piper slowly turned around to face her former ex-girlfriend but made no attempt to correct her appearance before doing so. Alex noticeably sucked in a breath and grimaced.

"I'm sorry about what Nicky said. It was out of order and-"

"Don't," Piper breathed, "I don't want to hear it."

"Hear me out, kid."

Alex stepped closer and held out her arms, _for a hug perhaps_? Piper didn't know but she refused to step into them. Instead, she wrapped her own arms around her midriff and lowered her watery gaze to the floor.

Assuming that she was allowed to talk, Alex continued: "I was a mess, Pipes. I was upset and confused, and fucking pissed off with you. So we had sex. I was done with you. I was done with your games. I was done with being mind fucked by you. You were constantly hot and cold, it was driving me crazy, and Nicky... Nicky was there."

"She was _there_?" Piper scoffed in disbelief, "You were clearly _so_ upset, so, _so_ upset. It was so easy for her to get in-between your legs. You can't have loved me that much."

Alex laughed bitterly, "fuck you, Piper. You picked Larry. The dream boy. Your easy option."

"That was different."

"Different how?"

Piper dropped her arms and stepped closer, her face cracking as she spoke, "Larry was my _fiancé_. I had a life with him. We were going to get married, have kids, fucking own a house and jeez, even buy a fucking dog. You didn't have that with Nicky. She was just somebody that you met when you got here. You don't love her the way I loved Larry, wait... _do you_?"

"Do I what?" Alex started, " _Love_ her?"

Panic rushed over Piper's body. She looked back down at her feet and frantically nodded.

"Fuck no. You _know_ me Pipes, I don't fall in love with just anybody, let-alone pretend to love two people at once."

It was a jibe; however, Piper refused to bite. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed audibly. She knew that Alex didn't feel that way towards Nicky, and Alex was right, she _did_ know her. She knew that Alex was a very sexual person, and she knew deep down that she shouldn't have been surprised that anything had happened between them both, especially not after Piper had ended it. But she also knew that Alex was very vengeful and sleeping with Nicky had been the perfect way to hurt her.

But _God_ , she didn't need to hear about it ever again.

"Look, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'll talk to Nicky and tell her to keep her mouth shut about it in future."

Piper shuffled from one foot to the other, unsure of how to respond. Although she hated the idea of Alex "having words" with Nicky, especially knowing that it would outline how miserably upset she was about the whole ordeal, Piper couldn't pretend that she wasn't relieved. So she nodded appreciatively before lowering her head again, once more refusing to make eye contact with the taller woman. Good news though, no more tears.

"You look like shit."

 _Great_. Piper quickly rubbed her hands over her face and then combed her fingers through her unruly hair. She was well aware of the fact that her face was swollen, and damp, and most likely red but she really didn't need Alex telling her how bad she looked, not when Alex was stood there, looking absolutely gorgeous. As usual. _Fuck_ , she could be wearing nothing but a bin liner and still look good.

"Thanks, Al."

"You're welcome."

Her teasing tone still brought a smile to Piper's face. She finally looked up and caught sight of the smirk that was playing on Alex's lips. It _almost_ caused her heart to explode.

"You're blushing," Alex observed, the smirk stretching into a smile, " _Why_ are you blushing, Piper Chapman?"

Piper sucked her lower lip between her teeth in an attempt to stifle a smile; however, there was no disguising the way the corners of her mouth twitched. Meanwhile, she subconsciously reached up and played with a stray lock of hair that had fallen down from behind her ear. She playfully twirled it around her finger again and again like a thirteen year old school girl with a crush. Unfortunately for Piper, Alex was well aware of the effects that she had on the younger blond so with an ever growing smile on her face, Alex stepped forward and closed the distance between them.

"I'm not blushing," Piper finally responded, giggling quietly, "I'm just... I don't know, _happy_? Well, not happy just _happier_ than what I was ten minutes ago."

Piper looked up at Alex and sighed softly, her hands reaching out to gently finger and play with the hem of her shirt. Alex took this as an invitation to move closer, carefully urging Piper backwards until she was pressed against the bookcase behind her. She placed her hands on the bookshelves on either side of Piper's body and trapped her in place. Not that Piper seemed to care. She twirled the material tighter around her finger as she studied Alex's features. Beginning with the careful arch of her eyebrows, the subtle curve of her nose, her nice, plump, _kissable_ lips, which were pulled back to form a white, toothy grin... _so beautiful_.

"I'm glad that you're happier, kid."

"I'm not your kid," Piper murmured playfully, "Not anymore."

"Oh?" _That eyebrow_. Piper watched it arch towards her hairline.

"Mm," She hummed, "Totally not your kid."

She reached towards Alex's face and brushed her thumb along the offending eyebrow.

"Well, I've got to say _kid_ , that's an awful shame."

Alex lifted a hand and curled her fingers around Piper's wrist, squeezing it affectionately. But when Piper's fingers swooped lower and gently encased Alex's chin, she dropped it between them and placed it on the curve of her hip. The unexpected touch made Piper's breath hitch.

"What are you doing to me, Alex?" Piper breathed, her gaze flitting between Alex's eyes, searching for an answer.

She replied immediately: "Kissing you," It was meant to sound confident yet they both noticed the way her voice wavered between syllables, "If that's okay?"

Piper chuckled softly, a small show of surprise appearing on her face, "I have to say, I am _very_ shocked. Alex Vause, asking for permission, there's a first time for everything," she teased.

She brushed her thumb along the edge of Alex's jaw but when she felt Alex's fingers slide underneath the hem of her shirt and ghost daringly above the waistband of her trousers, skin against skin, her movement faltered. She looked into her eyes once more, still expecting to see the teasing glint that she'd possessed only moments ago but it had been replaced with something unknown. It was intense and unreadable, and it made Piper's knees shake. Piper opened her mouth to make a harmless, inquisitive comment but before she could do so, Alex yanked her forwards and covered her mouth with her own in a hungry kiss. Piper responded immediately.

Alex felt warm and familiar, and they kissed tentatively, savouring it even though they'd kissed not long ago; however, as the seconds ticked by, the kisses started to become increasingly heated and urgent. Piper pushed her hand backwards and into Alex's black hair, where she twisted the locks around her fingers and tugged gently. Alex opened her mouth with a low, satisfied moan, which Piper took full advantage of. She pulled Alex even closer and swept her tongue along the woman's lower lip, tasting tentatively.

But suddenly, much to Alex's dismay, Piper caught sight of a figure in the corner of her eye and she immediately pushed Alex away, effectively bringing their kiss to an abrupt and unsatisfied end. Alex stumbled backwards and then spun around to _kill_ whoever it was that interrupted them but there was nobody there. She turned back to Piper and cocked a brow, tilting her head curiously to one side.

"What was that all about?"

"Somebody was definitely there," Piper peeked out from behind the bookcase and was surprised to find only one other person in the library and they happened to be stood on the opposite side of the room with their back to them. "Huh. I'm clearly going mad. This place is making me _craaazy_."

Alex affectionately draped an arm around the backs of Piper's shoulders and nodded boldly in agreement, "Well, I think you were pretty crazy before coming here, Pipes."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Fuck you, Al."

"Great comeback."

Piper didn't care. She gently pressed her body up against Alex's side and placed a small, sweet kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"Walk me to my room?" She asked quietly.

Alex nodded and smiled, "Anything to keep you happy... _Kid._ "

* * *

 **Thank you again. :-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

A chill surrounded Litchfield prison as the night turned to day but Piper still decided to have her breakfast in the yard instead of in the canteen with the other inmates. It wasn't because she was ignoring them, she just needed some fresh air. She opted to sit underneath a large tree in the far corner with her back against the knobbly trunk and her legs stretched out in front of her. As she daintily nibbled on the end of the cereal bar that she'd purchased at commissary earlier on in the week, she curiously examined the area around her.

During her time in the SHU, Piper had allowed her mind to wander to the yard on numerous occasions. The desire to walk along the soft grass and breathe in the cool, brisk air had almost become unbearable, so now that she was out, Piper was making a point of trying to take every opportunity to go outside and just feel the environment. Plus, it also meant that she could escape, albeit briefly, from the stricter confines of prison.

Piper turned to watch as a handful of inmates strolled into an area nearby with their hands stuffed deep inside their pockets and their chins buried inside the collars of their coats. It was only then that Piper felt a shiver brush down her spine and the hair on the nape of her neck stand on end. It _was_ cold, colder than she'd initially anticipated. She suddenly wished that she'd brought her coat.

"Chapman!"

 _Oh fuck_. Piper looked across at Caputo with a furrowed brow as her mind jumped into action. _What could she have possibly done wrong already this morning?_ _Heck, it wasn't even nine am yet_. He waved her over. Piper reluctantly scrambled to her feet and rushed towards him, well, as fast as their "no running" rule would allow.

"Yes?" She inquired hesitantly as soon she reached the fence, "Is everything okay?"

"What are you doing out here without a coat on?" Caputo rubbed at the outside of his arms as he visibly shivered, "It's freezing."

Piper shrugged lightly and then answered, her voice quite dry and matter-of-fact, "Who knows? Maybe my ice cold heart prevents me from feeling it."

"Uh... _huh_... maybe you're onto something there," He frowned and his moustache twitched, "You're strange, Chapman. Sometimes I worry about you, _which_ is why I am here."

 _Worried? Who the hell was this man and what have they done with Caputo?_ Suddenly quite nervous, Piper opened her mouth to grill him over his unusual behaviour but clearly he sensed her uneasiness and continued on his own accord.

"Well, you've been assigned a bunk."

Piper watched him, waiting for him to continue. There had to be more to it than that, _surely_. Caputo didn't dish out bunk orders, a job like that was beneath him. He had more important things to be doing. Well, that's what she thought but evidently not... Piper frowned.

"Okay then?"

"With Leanne. You've been assigned a bunk with Leanne."

 _Oh._

Piper's face dropped. _Oh fuck_.

"I just want to make sure that there isn't going to be anymore drama, Chapman. I know that she's linked with Doggett and because of your fight, some hostility is inevitable but I'm not going to make special allowances for people anymore. I'm done. Don't fuck up, alright? Or you'll be straight back in the SHU."

 _Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea.  
_

"Oh and Chapman?"

"Yes?"

"You're back on electrical."

* * *

"You going to ignore me all day, Chapman?"

Piper didn't look up because yes, _yes_ , that was the general idea. She turned her attention to the broken lamp that Luschek silently placed on the table in front of her. She stared at it blankly, as if _somehow_ , just from looking at it, she'd know what the issue was. But eventually she gave up on that approach and picked up the screwdriver that she'd acquired from the cage instead (one that she would _definitely_ be returning this time around).

"Chapman, _come on_. No more childish games, talk to me."

She narrowed her eyes, refusing to even _think_ about looking at Nicky. She didn't want to talk about what Nicky inevitably wanted to talk about. It was obvious what it was going to be. She was either going to continue to flaunt her victory over fucking Alex or she was just going to taunt Piper over the fact that Alex had to have a "polite" chit-chat with her in regards to said flaunting. Either/or, Piper didn't want to hear it. So she refused to acknowledge her because yes, she preferred childish games sometimes. Sometimes they just happened to be the easier option.

"I'm not going to shut up-"

"Shut the fuck up, Nichols!" Luschek barked, startling them both.

"Bite me."

It was a whispered response but it didn't get passed Piper. She smirked. _Typical Nicky_.

There was no denying the fact that she really liked Nicky. It was Nicky that had actively approached her and conversed with her when she first entered Litchfield. She had always been around to offer sound advice whenever she needed it, whilst constantly providing comic relief through sexual references and innuendos on a daily basis, except now that it was about Alex, Piper no longer found it funny.

Piper poked and prodded at the broken lamp in a futile attempt to fix it. It was quickly becoming apparent that a vocation as a handy man was never going to be something that she was going to be successful at. She turned the lamp upside down and jabbed the bottom of it with her screwdriver, cursing under her breath when the damned thing refused to cooperate.

After a few more attempts, Piper dropped the screwdriver onto the workstation and huffed noisily.

"I give up!"

Nicky eyeballed her curiously.

"I can't fix this lamp. I just can't. I can't fix anything. I'm useless."

"What a great attitude," Nicky finally quipped, amusement tainting her voice. "Keep on going like that and Luschek will shove you in the cage."

"I'm being serious, Nicky! How can I be expected to fix this when I can't fix _anything_ in my life?"

She leant forward and combed her fingers through her hair in exasperation.

"I mean, the list is endless. I am here, I transported drugs, I messed things up with Larry, I... _definitely_ messed things up with Alex, I almost killed Pennsatucky..."

"- _woah_ there, chill out."

"Yeah, easy tiger," Luschek piped up, "Don't wanna cause anyone to slit their wrists now, do ya?"

Piper lowered her head and grumbled incoherently under her breath. She needed to get out of here. She needed to see Alex. She needed a distraction.

* * *

Their day didn't get much better after that. By the time their shift was over, Piper was cranky, tired and very hungry, and in a definite need of a pick me up. She needed Alex. But it was dinner time and they were in the canteen; surrounded by rowdy inmates, overcooked food and the soft hum of conversation. Piper sunk into a seat beside Nicky and sighed heavily.

"Oh come _on_... Vause, you seriously need to sort your girlfriend out."

 _Alex_? Piper looked up and was shocked to suddenly find Alex sat on the opposite side of the table.

"What do you mean, Nicky?"

"She's been miserable all day. _Hey_ , Chapman, are you on your period?" Nicky jabbed her in the ribs and chuckled, much to Piper's annoyance. "See what I mean, Vause?"

 _Calm down_. She could see it in Alex's eyes. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth and slowly exhaled through her nose. The tension from earlier bubbled and spat, and twisted inside of her stomach. She needed a hot bubble bath and a bottle of wine ( _or two_ ). Unfortunately, the comments and jibes kept coming but Piper refused to acknowledge them. Instead, she stared intently at Alex, who watched her with an unreadable expression on her face. Piper didn't know what to make of it.

"Alex?"

"... _Pipes?_ " Alex arched a brow as the corners of her lips twisted into a small and mischievous smile.

"I'm cranky."

"I can tell."

Piper sighed audibly and put down her fork.

"How can I help?"

It was an innocent enough question but Piper knew Alex well enough to pick up on the hidden, underlying tone. Maybe it was the way Alex's voice had suddenly dropped to a husky tone that she normally reserved for the bedroom, or the way her tongue darted out to dampen her lips.

It was _definitely_ a sight for sore eyes. Piper sucked in a sharp breath and squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. It seemed like forever ago since they last had sex. _Too long ago_. Piper could barely remember the way Alex felt against her lips, or the way her tongue was capable of turning her into putty. _Heck, anything that Alex does..._ The dark haired woman arched a brow and smirked. Piper shuddered.

"I'm tired. I think I need to go to bed."

 _And masturbate._

Before anybody could quiz her motives, Piper jumped to her feet and hurried away to tidy up her tray. Alex watched her leave in silence, meanwhile trying to come up with an appropriate excuse to leave the table too without making it _too_ obvious. But when she turned back around, she was surprised to find everybody staring at her expectantly.

"Are you going to do us all a favour and fuck her already, Vause?" Nicky asked dryly.

She wanted to say no. She wanted to throw back a snide, playful comment. She wanted to finish her dinner. But no, the overwhelming urge to bury her face between her former girlfriends' legs was too much to ignore. Without saying another word, Alex stood up and rushed after Piper. The table roared with laughter.

Alex grabbed Piper's wrist and dragged her into a nearby toilet block, mindful of the studious glare of the other inmates and the prison guards. Piper had been expecting her to follow (she would have been _very_ angry if she hadn't), so she wasn't at all surprised when she was suddenly thrown into an unoccupied cubicle and pushed up against the nearest wall. Their mouths met in a hungry kiss but just as quickly as it started, it ended.

"Pipes, you know me, I'm _all_ for foreplay and I would love nothing more than to fuck you for hours and hours, over and over again-," Piper rolled her head backwards to rest against the wall and groaned quietly, "-but this toilet is disgusting and I don't think I can spend more than five minutes in here, so, follow my lead, okay?"

Piper wanted to tell her that it didn't matter. That she needed this. That she needed to feel Alex's hands all over her body. That she needed to get rid of all of this tension. That she needed - oh, _OH_.

Alex squatted on the ground in front of her and quickly pulled down Piper's trousers and underwear. Without giving the younger woman an opportunity to even think let alone say anything, Alex nudged her legs apart and immediately pushed her face in-between them, her tongue hitting her clit almost straight away. Piper grabbed a hold of the hair at the back of her head and released a string of loud and drawn out moans.

"You're amazing," She gasped, her hips bucking wildly against Alex's mouth.

"You're not so bad yourself," Alex threw back, her face slick with Piper's juices.

It took minutes for Piper to come and when she did, the tension and stress of the day just disappeared into thin air.

 _Thank God for Alex._

* * *

 **Another short one. :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone,**

 **I just wanted to write a quick message to say thank you for the reviews/follows/favourites that my story has recieved so far. I hope that you're all well and enjoying the weekend.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five  
**

"I'm scared to go to bed."

" _Scared_? What, why?"

"I'm going to be sharing a cube with Leanne."

"Fuck."

 _Yes, fuck. Nice and helpful, Vause._ Piper rolled her eyes and turned her head away, clearly disappointed in Alex's response. She was supposed to offer some form of comfort, tell her that it would all be okay, that Leanne is just Leanne and that she has nothing to worry about. But instead, she just stared at her with wide eyes and a tight lipped smile. _Is that it_? Piper gently pushed against her hip and clicked her tongue in frustration.

"Thanks for that, Al."

Now it was Alex's turn to roll her eyes.

"Piper, please don't worry. It's just Leanne. Fuck her-," Piper opened her mouth to argue but Alex intervened, shooting her a look as if to say _don't you dare interrupt_ , "-plus, hey, you're like, one cube away from me. If you need your butt saving, just shout my name and I will come and sort it out."

She said it jokingly but Piper could see in her eyes just how serious the statement truly was. She knew that Alex would always look out for her, even if it meant getting an extra couple of years added to her sentence but Piper didn't want that, she needed to go about this alone. She also knew that if she was honest and told Alex that, that the situation would just become ten times worse. Alex would interrogate her about what her intentions were, when honestly, Piper had no idea. It was a choice between keeping her head down and staying silent, and just hoping that Leanne ( _or even Pennsatucky_ ) stayed away _or_ she could actively do something about the situation herself. Piper had been here long enough to know who she would need to ask if she needed any assistance, _heck_ , Big Boo had been the person that had gifted her the screwdriver that she'd waved around in Pennsatucky's face on the night of their fight.

Piper was pulled from her thoughts by Alex, who gingerly placed her hands on her cheeks and pulled her closer for a small kiss. Once it ended, Piper looked up and offered a small smile but it was one that refused to reach her eyes no matter how hard she tried.

"I can see the wheels turning inside your head, Pipes."

"I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Hmm, yeah," It was a noncommital response and Piper wanted to curse. "But we should really get out of here before we both get shots."

This wasn't the scenario that she'd imagined them having once they were finally alone together. After catapulting Piper into bliss, Alex had grabbed a hold of the younger womans' hand, fully expecting the favour to be returned. Unfortunately for Alex, Piper had had other ideas, which subsequently triggered their current conversation. Still slightly antsy and uncomfortable due to her unquenched arousal, Alex was itching to get into bed and deal with it herself once everybody else was fast asleep. She couldn't even bring herself to initiate anything with Piper now due to the fact that they'd already spent far too long inside this disgusting toilet cubicle.

"Well, can I just say something?" Piper asked as she stumbled into the main bathroom vicinity, using Alex's hand to pull her along with her. She quickly glanced around the room to make sure that nobody was around that could get them into trouble and when she was sure that the coast was clear, she spun back around to face Alex and looked at her desperately. Alex waited quietly, slightly amused by Piper's frantic behaviour. "I _love_ you, okay?"

A confession of love.

Alex lifted their entwined hands and placed them firmly against her chest, pulling Piper as close as possible. She knew that this sudden declaration was prompted by the situation with Leanne. But she also knew the younger woman well enough to know that she was telling the truth. Piper wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it. Alex cocked her head to one side, quirked her brow and smiled cheekily.

"Are you sure you don't mean, 'I heart you'?"

"Oh yeah," Piper kissed her softly on the mouth, "I take back what I said. I totally heart you."

" _Chapman? Vause?!_ "

They leapt apart before Nicky rounded the corner. She visibly sighed in relief when she spotted them.

"Guys, you've been gone for a while. You're gonna get into trouble."

Alex turned to look back at Piper, who looked ten times more worried than before. She dropped a kiss on the corner of her mouth and offered a small smile.

"It'll be okay, kid. Trust me."

* * *

 _It'll be okay, kid. Trust me. Trust me. Trust me. Trust me..._

"Fuck you, Alex."

Piper couldn't sleep. She didn't _want_ to sleep. Not when she knew that as soon as she closed her eyes, Leanne would be on top of her with a makeshift weapon pressed against her jugular. So instead, she remained still and kept her eyes trained on the ceiling above. She held her blanket to her chest, so tight that her knuckles turned white. All around her she could hear the faint snores of the other inmates but there was no sound from Leanne, which meant that she was either dead ( _come on, Piper wasn't that lucky_ ) or still awake. Piper assumed it was the latter. She also assumed that she was being watched. She could feel it. The slight prickly sensation on her side, as if somebody was burning holes into her skin.

"Trust you? Why did I listen to you? Why did-"

"Shhhh!"

 _Oh yeah,_ this wasn't the SHU. She wasn't alone. This was all real. And now the whole room had heard her mumbling to herself about Alex.

 _Wait, if everybody heard that then surely they will hear if Leanne suddenly starts decapitating her with a razor blade..._ Well, that's what Piper assumed anyway. She sucked in a deep breath and then, very slowly (and almost reluctantly), allowed her heavy eyelids to droop closed.

She woke with a start.

There was something heavy pinning her down against the mattress. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to quickly adjust her eyesight to the darkness so she could see her assailant, even though she was well aware of who it was. And when her eyes finally adjusted, and she confirmed her suspicions, she shrieked in terror. Leanne's face loomed above hers, her eyes wide and her mouth pulled back to reveal a manic grin. Suddenly a rough hand clamped down against her mouth to muffle any other noise of protest.

Leanne lowered her head and brushed her lips against Piper's earlobe, "Be quiet now, _Chapman_."

Piper felt her blood run cold. She was absolutely terrified ( _embarrassingly so, considering this was Pennsatucky's hillbilly fuck up friend_ ). She didn't even try to move, too afraid to discover any weapon that Leanne may or may not have.

"Good girl. Stay still."

She couldn't see but she could feel that Leanne was straddling her waist. She was surprisingly heavy considering how slight her frame was. Suffocatingly heavy.

All of a sudden, something hard and cool pressed against her cheek. Piper tried to jerk away but Leanne firmly grabbed a hold of her chin and pulled her back into position. Her heart pounded hard against her ribcage, and she could feel the blood rushing inside her head. Like she was running a marathon. Leanne pressed whatever it was that she was holding harder against her cheek, and it pinched painfully. Piper clamped her eyes shut and winced, a tiny whimper falling into the palm of Leanne's hand.

She felt something warm trickle down her cheek and she could only assume that it was blood. _Her_ blood.

"Consider this a sign of what's to come, Chapman. A warning." The pinching intensified and this time, Piper cried out even louder, forcing Leanne to increase the hold that she had on her mouth. "Don't you even think about getting your lesbo girlfriend on us either. She doesn't scare us anymore."

Finally, Leanne released her hold on Piper's face and quickly, and silently, climbed off of her. Piper remained still, too petrified to move. She wanted to rush to the bathroom, check her face, cry, throw up, punch something... _her mind was going crazy_. It was going into overdrive. In her peripheral vision, she watched as Leanne rolled back into bed and pulled the covers over her body. Very slowly, Piper rolled onto her side and turned her back to Leanne, confident that nothing else would be done to her tonight.

Her cheek was red, hot and stinging, and Piper knew that her pillow would be soaked through with blood come morning time. But she'd worry about that tomorrow. Right now, she was absolutely shattered and in desperate need of sleep.

She tried not to imagine Leanne's face as she drifted into darkness.

* * *

It was morning time but Piper didn't have the pleasure of waking up naturally. When she felt two hands against her shoulders, Piper's eyes snapped open. Immediately, she bolted into an upright position and threw her fists in front of her chest, ready to defend herself if necessary. But was shocked to find Morello stood beside the bed and not Leanne. Morello jumped back and threw her palms in the air as an act of "surrender".

"M'sorry Lorna. You just scared me," She apologised, her voice thick with sleep. "What's up?"

Morello leaned closer, "Your _face_."

Piper froze. Immediately, memories from the previous night came flooding back. She gingerly placed a hand against her very tender cheek and hissed noisily. The horrified expression on Morello's face made it obvious that the injury was not in a good way _at all_. As she was falling asleep, late last night, she was hoping that it would be a small cut, one that she could blame on a clumsy fall, or a rough piece of bedding but no. Evidently not.

"What happened?" Morello crouched down and hesitantly reached out to touch Piper's face but she stopped at the last minute. When Piper nodded faintly, giving her permission, Morello gently encased her chin and turned it towards her to reveal more of the wound. "Was it her?" She jerked her head towards the empty bed on the otherside of the cube. Piper turned her gaze away and sighed.

"Is it bad?" She doesn't know why she asked. "Actually, don't answer that."

"We need to get it cleaned up and see how bad it really is," Morello released her chin and grabbed a hold of one of her hands instead, "I need to find something to clean you up with. We can't walk past the guards with you like that, they will put you back in SHU."

She went to stand but Piper gripped her arm, suddenly overcome with fear, "Please _no_. Don't leave me."

"Do you want me to find Alex?" Morello asked quietly and Piper nodded.

Alex knew how to calm Piper down. Granted, she sometimes said the wrong thing or rolled her eyes at the most inappropriate time, but all Alex had to do was wrap her arms around her tightly and all was well in the world again. At least, temporarily. But Piper was already beginning to worry about how her girlfriend ( _wait... what?_ ) might react over seeing her like this. She had a gut feeling that Alex was capable of violence, she'd never witnessed it but Alex carried herself in such a way. It was alarmingly intimidating.

A firm tug on the blanket above her signalled that Morello had returned; however, Piper refused to allow the material to fall away. She murmured her disapproval. She didn't want Alex to see her face. She didn't want her to be scared. But Morello was having none of it. She yanked it away with an impatient tut.

Piper reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at Alex, who stared back at her with a stormy expression on her face. Meanwhile, Morello crouched down beside the bed and carefully began cleaning up the dried blood that covered Piper's skin, for now, avoiding the wound.

"Did Leanne do this?" Alex asked slowly.

Piper lowered her gaze and exhaled audibly. She didn't want _this_ Alex. _She wanted cuddly, loving, 'I heart you' Alex_. She didn't want Alex to do anything rash but she knew that if their current roles were reversed, Piper would already be flipping out.

"Hold me?" Piper whispered meekly.

This request caused Alex's hardened composure to soften. She crawled onto the bed beside Piper and immediately pulled her against her side. Piper threw her arm over her waist and buried her face into her stomach, much to Morello's disapproval, who impatently turned Piper's face back towards her.

"Pipes, Lorna needs to wash your face. You're a mess."

Piper stuck her bottom lip out and grumbled childishly. "You're such a smooth talker, Al."

Alex opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal but was quickly interrupted by Piper, who cried out in pain when Morello suddenly swiped over the cut.

"S-sorry Chapman, just makin' sure, you know?" She pulled the wipe away and inspected the wound, a small sigh of relief falling from her lips, "It's not _too_ bad. It won't need stitches. I don't know how you're going to explain that to the guards though."

Alex pushed her glasses into her hair and then dropped her hand to Piper's face, swiping her thumb across the younger woman's untouched cheek.

"I'm sorry, Pipes."

Piper was crying but she really couldn't understand why. She _was_ scared but right now, she was okay. She had Alex. _Alex was her rock. Her beautiful, amazing and powerful rock._

"What for?" She finally asked.

"I wasn't there to protect you," Alex said quietly, "I never seem to be."

"Please don't say that."

"It's true though, Pipes. I wasn't there when you had that fight with Pennsatucky. Well, not when you needed me the most, I-"

"Alex," Piper started firmly, " _Stop it_. I heart you, remember?"

It was such a simple statement but it was enough to calm down Alex's self-inflicting mood. She swooped her head down and pressed their mouths together in a soft, open-mouthed kiss.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **I struggled with this chapter a bit (I blame Bear Grylls!).**


End file.
